CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. — As many as four Chautauqua County volunteer fire departments could become one as talks to consolidate services begin.
The fire departments include Dewittville, Hartfield, Chautauqua, and Mayville.
Each one is within a few miles of the other and serves the northern end of Chautauqua Lake including the entire Town of Chautauqua and part of the Town of Sherman.
"Manpower has become a real issue," said Fred Humm, President and Commissioner of the Dewittville Fire Department.
Consolidation among volunteer departments isn't new in New York state. The struggles with attracting and retaining recruits are well documented.
Commissioner Humm said life isn't the same anymore and opportunities are endless for young adults nowadays.
"It's nice to be responsible and help your community but your first thing is your family," he said.
The change has led many departments like Dewittville to contemplate some tough decisions, especially given that the average age of a Dewittville firefighter is around 70 Humm added.
"Dewittville is 5 miles away from Mayville, Hartfield is 3 miles away and Chautauqua is three miles away, so from Dewittville to Chautauqua that is 8 miles," said Mayville Mayor Richard Syper.
Syper is also a longtime Mayville firefighter and wants the right decision to be made for all residents.
He believes consolidating volunteers from each department will mean better daytime coverage and require less expensive equipment and less upkeep in the long run.
With consolidation, however, comes the question of response times. When asked about that, Syper said he doesn't think there'd be much change because all four departments already assist each other.
"Response times, I don't see it being, changing if anything it could get better because you've got more people coming to the scenes," the Maville Mayor said.
"We're all alerted anyway. When any one of us has a call the rest are called in as mutual aid," Dewittville Fire Commissioner Fredd Humm added.
It is important to note these talks are just beginning. Mayor Syper said it is not clear if the Chautauqua Volunteer Fire Department is completely on board or if they're completely opposed.
The discussion has begun however and there is a lot to consider. Before a final decision is made, every fire department wants to ensure it is the right one.
Dewittville Fire Commissioner Fred Humm recalled that a similar debate happened 20 years ago with the Dewittville and Hartfield departments but nothing happened. He and Syper believe things are different this time.
"It's probably more necessary than anything," Humm said.
The four departments are expected to meet later this month on March 26 to discuss the mapping and naming of the potential new fire district.
Information about public hearings is still to come.